Xenoblade Chronicles:The Next Chapter
by The.Great.Xenoblade.Fangirl
Summary: "Sometimes the end is just the beginning of the next chapter" 17 years after the events of Xenoblade Chronicles, a new hero and her friends will set out on an epic journey across the great sea called Mira to rescue a kidnapped loved one and discover even more secrets about the Monado. Rated T for Sci-Fi and Fantasy action and dark atmosphere after first episode.


Xenoblade Chronicles: The Next Chapter  
Episode 1: Mira, Sea of the Fallen Titans

Blue skies, lush plant life, the calm, glistening sea. The Fallen Arm was beautiful, and there she was, Shulfora, standing on the grass just beside the beach as the dragonfly came and gently perched on her finger. She admired the creature's beauty in the peaceful morning sun, wondering, what other forms of life may thrive beyond the boundless sea. emMight they be like the creatures on the Fallen Arm? Might they be like the Homs, or the High Entia, or the Machina? Might there even be Nopon beyond the sea? Or could they be far more than anyone has imagined? 

As she contemplated this, she eyed the dragonfly with gentleness and passion. It seemed to look back with gratitude. Then as they eyed each other, the dragonfly took off, gently flying away. As it flew away, Shulfora simply watched, smile on her face and her long blonde hair flowing in the breeze. Then a familiar voice came from a little ways back, "Oi! What're you doin' all the way out here by yourself?!"

It was Releyna, a bold, loudmouthed, and thick-skulled Defence Force trainee./p

Shulfora was annoyed, "When's my dad gonna chill and stop sending you out here whenever I leave the colony limits? I mean, I'm old enough to look after myself, and he gave me his old sword," she grabbed the handle of the old one-edged blade in frustration, "what could possibly go wrong?"  
"I dunno." Releyna stated, running her hand through her brownish red hair, "maybe it's because everyone expects me to, I mean, I am older than you."  
"Releyna, stop. It's only by two months. We're both 14, so that doesn't really say anything." Releyna was already bored of the conversation, "Well, we better get back to the colony. If I'm not back by 11 ol' Bossy McSquare-Stache is gonnaem kill me. A few things came to Shulfora's mind. "The colonel? Yeah, Dad says that in his day he was like that. By the way, have you seen Sonreylan?  
"Yeah, he's back at the Military District. If you haven't noticed he's real good at avoiding work, unlike myself. Anyways, we should head back now." The two traversed the mostly flat land back to the colony. By the time they got back, the Commercial District was packed with people. The entire colony was like the district, peaceful, yet energetic, vibrant, and full of life. Some days one could compare it to that of a large festival. They strolled through the marketplace talking about things that had had happened that week, like girls usually do. As they were talking, Releyna popped in a question' "So what're you doing for the rest of the day?" Shulfora gazed down at the street, a bit bored, "Not much really. I'll probably stop at the lab for a few minutes because I don't need to run any errands for my uncle today, but besides that I have Danue"s guitar lesson, and then after that I don't really have an agenda."

When they arrived at the Military District, the colonel was not in a good mood. "Targinem! Where have you been!?" Releyna was speechless, "I...um...uh..."  
"Get over there!"  
"Y-Yes sir!" she turned to her friend, "See ya Shulfora."

As Releyna hurried off, Shulfora headed down to the lab, not too far away, but before she entered, she spotted Sonreylan, Releyna's younger brother, snoozing right outside. She decided not to wake him from his rest, his blue hair seeming messier than it really was leaned against the wall.

Shulfora proceeded down the hallway. Ever since she had first come in when she was very young, it had always carried an air of mysteriousness. She came to the room deeper inside the lab. She walked in quietly, but just as she was about to walk in she heard two higher-pitched, somewhat synchronized "Boo!"s. Danue and Luneo had jumped from the sides of the doorway in an attempt to suprise their older cousin, although over the years it had stopped working.

"Why hello there! What are you boys doing in here?" Danue spoke for the two, "We just came to say hello, really. The scaring part was Luneo's idea, even though I told him," he turned his head to his younger sibling, "It wasn't gonna work." Luneo looked back up at him with serene blue eyes and a look on his face that said, 'At least we tried.' Luneo's head-feathers fluttered as he turned straight ahead and gazed with awe and amazement at the sword, locked up good and tight, "Big Sis, can you tell us about the Monado?"

"Of course." Shulfora answered. "Now, my dad knows much, much more about the Monado than I do, but according to him, this is the very blade that fell the Bionis 17 years ago."  
"Wow!"  
"And that's just the beginning. He also says that very few Homs have ever been able to wield it, such as himself, and at one time your dad used it, but it looked much different then."  
"Why's it locked up here? Danue asked, brushing some ofhis black hair out of his face.  
"He says something may go wrong if someone besides him touches it. The Monado is a very sensitive blade,you know, and very ancient too. As far as we know, it has been here since the very beginning of our world." Luneo's already big eyes got even bigger as he eyed Shulfora, blue eyes to blue eyes, "How'd us Homs get it?"  
"Well, for most of our 12,000 year history, the Monado was in the possession of the High Entia, until it was found by the Homs, locked away in a place called Ose Tower. It was located somewhere on Valak Mountain, so I'm not sure if it's underwater." Danue glanced at the blade nervously, "Do you think someone else may be able to use it?" Shulfora turned to him, "I actually don't know. It can't be me though, all previous wielders were right-handed, and I'm left-handed." Danue puffed himself up with a proud look in his black eyes, "That can't be true. My dad-"  
Shulfora abruptly interrupted, "Your dad doesn't count. He can't even use his right arm anymore. The abillity isn't hereditary either, so who knows."/p  
"What's 'hereditary'?" asked Luneo./p  
"It means passed down from parents to child." She sighed. "I better get you two home now. Your mom's probably worried sick about you." Danue replied, "She's always worried."

Shulfora and her two brethren walked out of the lab. Outside the doorway Sonreylan was still asleep, snoring loudly for a kid his size. This was until his rifle slipped from its place propped up against the wall and whacked him in the head. Sonreylan jerked upright, his fingers clenched instinctively and dark brown eyes wide open. He checked around for people, mostly to see if Colonel Vangarre had finally caught him slacking off, and then he finally noticed the three of them just staring at him. "Oh..uh... Hi guys. About what time of day is it?" Shulfora politely responded,"About lunchtime."  
"Perfect timing. 'Cause I'm starving." He remarked as he stood up and brushed off his shorts. All four saw someone running in their direction. She had two drivers on her back, it was Releyna. Inher sprint she yelled, "You guys ain't gonna believe what just happened!" By this time she was with the group and began her story, "Colonel got into an argument with a Nopon, again. He gets into arguments with everybody but he emhates/em arguing with Nopon, and by the moons, he owes that swear jarem so much/em When I left he was so mad he probably won't even notice I'm gone."

"'Kay, sis, I don't mean to rain on the parade, but I'm leaving, these guys are leaving, so we apparently we need a ride.

"Well," she smirked, "lucky for us,em somebody/em happens to be driving by." It was Releyna and Sonreylan's uncle, a young guy often seen transporting cargo. He stopped for a minute and asked them, "You guys need a lift?" Sonreylan coolly said, "Yup."  
"Where to?" Releyna answered,"Residential District, my house." As they were getting on Shulfora commented, it doesn't matter whose house. You guys live right next door to me and Danue and Luneo live right across the street."  
"Alright. Let's go."

The ride home was a smooth one. When they arrived at their destination, everyone was more than eager to get home, but Shulfora remembered her curfew, and managed to stop Danue by grabbing on to his cape and reminded him, "Check in with your mum, grab your guitar, lunch at my house. Got it?"  
"Okay. And I"m pretty sure Luneo's coming too. You lost him at 'lunch at my house.'"

While waiting for the boys to come over, she walked into the house, nobody was home. On the kitchen table she found 3 sandwiches already made, along with a typical note to her father that said, "For Shulfora and the nephews. If Reyn comes over make sure he does not eat these -Fiora" With a slight chuckle at that last part she went to her room, grabbed her guitar, and came back down to the kitchen. She stroked the guitar, savoring the memory of when her mother first gave it to her. She remembered when Danue got his guitar, which had a blossom, the Sanshun family symbol, engraved on it. She remembered when they had started the band and she had said that they would be the generation that truly discovered music.

She was brought back into reality by a loud banging at the door. She got up from the barstool and let her cousins into the house, Luneo happening to bring his violin. They were all quiite musically talented for 14, 11, and 10-year-olds. They talked during their lunch, the boys often talked with their mouths half full of sandwich.

Luneo was often very quiet during a conversation, but he had hardly even spoken a word until Shulfora noticed, "Luneo, you've been awfully quiet. Something wrong?" He played with the curls in his blazing white hair, "No. I've just been thinking about something you said." He stared at his now empty plate, "Big Sis, why can't our dad use his right arm? He never talks about it." Shulfora looked at her two pupils, "He was injured in a battle." Danue questioned with a crazy look and a mouth full of food, "What battle?" Shulfora gave him an even crazier look, "Do you skip over everything about Homs history when your reading? The Battle of Sword Valley. You know... back when all the Mechon were trying to kill us?"  
"Oh... yeah..."  
"I'm suprised you don't know this. I mean... your dad is theem general, am I right? Anyways, we should get on with the lesson." Music lessons were not really lessons at all, but more like practice, but it went nicely. They had played a traditional Colony 9 song they had heard at a festival. The crew played everything by ear, for ironically they could not read music. The only time they were interrupted was when they heard Sonreylan's mom yelling because he still hadn"t cleaned his room, and they couldnt help but giggle.

By now it was late afternoon, almost evening. Shulfora suggested that they all go outside. The other two agreed. It seemed Shulfora just could not keep out of doing things today, for almost as soon as they were out of the house, the Targinem siblings came with news. Releyna spoke, "We don't mean to bother you, but your uncle told my dad to tell me to tell you that your dad's looking for you."  
"What?"  
"Your dad's looking for you. From what I heard, he wants to meet you at the outlook right before sunset." Shulfora looked in the direction of the outlook, one of the highest places on the Fallen Arm, "Okay, I think I can make it there by sunset. Bye guys!" She traveled onward to her destination alone. The sun was getting lower and the western sky was turning more red with each passing minute. The young Homs arrived at the outlook and gazed at the towering hill, then proceeded to climb its many, many steps. Before coming to the very top, she looked at a breathtaking view of the sky.

The sky was dimming and one by one the stars were appearing. The faint moons were also getting brighter, the largest almost at its peak, the smallest right over the fourth finger on the Fallen Arm, and the third shining on a fallen Bionis, lying lifeless in the sea. At the top of the outlook she saw her father gazing out into the sea waiting.

She broke the silence, "You wished to see me?" He turned around somewhat surprised, "Why, hello there. I see you got my message."  
"Yeah. You could've called it 'chain mail'. Did you need me for something?" He smiled and turned to the great sea ahead of him, "I wanted to show you this." She turned in the same direction and saw a sunset even more beautiful than she had ever seen in her 14 years alive. "Dad, you never told me..."

"What?"

"What you call this sea we live on. Our world. The world of the two fallen titans." He was in deep thought and did not answer for a few seconds, and then came back into reality. This, from what we know, endless sea, where every Homs, High Entia, Machina, Nopon, and every living thing of our world, the sea of three moons and a boundless sky, emthis/em sea we call... Mira"

"I don't know why, but it's a beautiful name." Shulk smiled at his daughter"s comment, "I don't mean to change the subject, but this outlook is very special"

"Yes. It's where your uncle proposed to your Aunt Melia, and you guys used to hang out here all the time."/p  
"Also, you and Mom sometimes come out here and watch the sunset together." They looked eatch other in the eye, "You've probably heard this a thousand times, but you look so much like your mother." Shulfora brushed back some of her hair, "I've heard that. But everybody says I look like you. I don't see how that is, my hair's a bit darker."  
"It's probably your eyes." His eyes were the exact same color, a bright, blue. She turned to the sea. "I wonder what lies beyond the horizon."  
Her father put his arm around her shoulder "Same as I." Shulfora smiled, "I hope one day we can set out to explore Mira."  
"Together?"

"Together."

TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
